A Quiz to Test Your Communication Style with Your Reading Style

As a communication coach and specialist, I have given style surveys to my clients over the years. The one I like the best is MyBEST Profile. I like that one because it’s easy to remember and the styles are simple. Myers-Briggs is very complicated and most people have trouble remembering the styles. The point is not to do a deep psychological analysis (if you wanted that, you’d have to take the MMPI under the guidance of a clinical psychologist) but to help people better understand their communication styles and those of others.

To that end, I’ve created a survey for you to take. This survey will tell you if you are a Bold, Expressive, Sympathetic or Technical reader.

Answer the following questions: Pick the Answer that best describes your reading behavior, just one answer please!

1. I am thought of as a person who reads: a) war history b) mystery c) romance d) nonfiction
2. When I read, I prefer to a) read a hardback book b) read an e-book c) listen to an audiobook d) read a newspaper
3. As for nonfiction, I prefer a) self-help books b) academic studies c) biography d) memoirs
4. I usually am reading a) all the time b) while I’m doing something else c) whenever I have nothing else to do d) either at bedtime or early in the morning.
5. I like books that are a) literature b) scientifically based c) have no more than 300 pages d) my book group’s choice
6. Whenever I decide to read a book, I a) listen to what my friends say is a good read  b) start on page one and never read anything beforehand c) read all I can about it, including the reviews and the book jacket d) pick what the librarian recommends
7. As for fiction, I prefer 1) stories based on true facts b) action/adventure /sci-fi plots c) chic-lit d) fantasy or young adult
8. As far as writing reviews on the books I’ve read, a) I’ve never written a review b) I write long detailed reviews c) I say I’m going to write a review, but often never get around to it d) My reviews are short and sweet–Would I recommend the book to someone else or not.
9. My bookshelf consists of a) business books b) academic books c) few books d) a mixture of many genre and type of book
10. As a reader I consider myself a)cautious–only read books I know I’ll like b) optimistic–tend to keep reading hoping the book will improve c) satisfied–Always glad and feeling good when I’ve finished a book d) impatient–ready for the book to end long before it does.

Here’s your score sheet:

1.  a) Bold b) Expressive c) Sympathetic d) Technical
2. a) Technical b) Sympathetic c) Bold d) Expressive
3. a) Bold b) Technical c) Expressive d) Sympathetic
4. a) Sympathetic b) Bold c) Expressive d) Technical
5. a) Expressive b) Technical c)Bold d) Sympathetic
6. a) Expressive b)Bold c) Technical d) Sympathetic
7. a) Technical b) Bold c) Expressive d) Sympathetic
8. a) Sympathetic b) Technical c) Expressive d) Bold
9. a) Bold b) Technical c) Expressive d) Sympathetic
10. a) Technical b) Expressive c) Sympathetic d) Bold

Add up the number of times you were a Bold, Expressive, Sympathetic or Technical. That gives your your reader preference based on your communication style.

Bold people are action oriented, impatient, ready to go, driven by new things and change

Expressive people are optimistic, charismatic and love being with people. They are rather ego-centric

Sympathetic people are loyal, giving, compassionate and willing to lend a hand.

Technical people are cautious, patient, numbers oriented and accurate.

So how did you do?

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